Let’s begin this on a good note: I’m a diehard Castlevania addict, and consider Symphony of the Night for Playstation to be one of the greatest games of all time. Unfortunately, the game that has been touted as its “spiritual sequel” isn’t quite all that.

Visually speaking, Harmony of Dissonance is a genuine treat. Smooth sprite rotation, a healthy number of frames for all animations (be it friend or foe) and exquisite art direction all come together for a graphically appealing title that truly sets the mood. Spells and other effects are quite flashy, showing off what the little GBA can do. I was surprised to see that not all of the enemies were ‘ripped’ out of previous Castlevanias. In fact you’ll note that the Blood (sometimes called Red) Skeletons have an entirely redone animation routine. In some areas it is arguable that the game is a bit better looking than its Playstation inspiration.

The aurals, I’m a bit disappointed to note, are not quite as impressive as the visuals. Instrument samples are nearly NES quality, though there are thankfully more than four. It’s clear that the team decided to sacrifice sound quality for a graphical engine that would be able to take the demands of Magic-on-the-Fly without the fear of slowdown. This would not be so bad if it weren’t for the fact that not many of the tunes are all that catchy. No, there isn’t anything particularly grating on the ear, but a Castlevania fan is accustomed to being grabbed by the incredible music and never let go. The compositions are simply not up to par with the rest of the series.

However, it is the gameplay that is truly disappointing. How so, you ask? To put it simply, the game is pathetically easy. Easier than SOTN, which was plagued with a similar problem. Yet, more than that, it is the unbalanced Magic System.

Konami presents an intriguing twist on the usual Sub-Item staple of the Castlevania series. In this game you can collect Spellbooks of various Elemental affiliations and “combo” them with whatever Sub-Item you are using. While this sounds excellent on paper, it didn’t quite turn out the way the designers imagined. You see, the Magic spells are simply too powerful and there is no real “penalty” for exploiting the system. You regain MP at quite a substantial rate, and you use little to no Hearts when you cast spells in combination with your Sub-Item. It’s really that bad. Most bosses fall at two or three spell casts. As soon as you’ve found the Ice Spellbook, any form of challenge you might have had is out the window. The worst part is that normal Sub-Items become entirely useless. One of the cornerstones of the classic series has suddenly become obsolete. Even Alucard, a non-Belmont, used Sub-Items alongside the magic.

The bosses themselves, though well designed, fall easily and, in the end, appear like an afterthought. There are normal enemies that are more difficult than sanctioned bosses. There is something fundamentally wrong with gameplay when something like this can happen. The worst part is that the Elemental Stones you can collect and equip on the Vampire Killer are useless. You don’t do as much damage via Elemental Stones as you would think you should. I tested this out on a boss that was weak against Ice. The Blue Stone did all of three points damage more than the other Elements. Players will find themselves simply using whatever item increases the attack power the most, rather than trying to “exploit” any weaknesses enemies could have.

Another issue I have is with the Forward Dash. While this could have been an excellent addition to the gameplay, making for a faster-paced Castlevania, it falls flat. It mucks with the pacing. Enemies do not react to the dash in the least. If they had left the Dash a merely an evasive maneuver, like in SOTN, the game would play much better. It isn’t so much that the idea was wrong; but rather the parts of the game that should have been designed around that idea were not. The level designs and monster attack patterns just do not take advantage of the fact that Juste can dash forward. This throws the pacing of the game off entirely and makes it feel incomplete.

I feel that if the game truly penalized you for using the overpowered “combo” spells and instead assigned the R button to “regular spell casting” instead of the Forward Dash, and in turn have “combo” casting be unleashed by holding Up and then hitting the R button, the game would in the end be not only more balanced, but better paced and much more enjoyable. There is simply no reason to not abuse the Magic system, and this breaks the game. Even if the game designers had you lose a substantial amount of hearts when using a “combo” spell, it would have improved the difficulty.

While Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance is far from a terrible game, it lacks the touches that made the rest of the series instant classics. It is a shame that a game which has all the hallmarks of being the spiritual sequel to one of the most beloved adventure games, Symphony of the Night, falls short of its goal.

I must stress: if you were expecting Symphony of the Night II, you will surely be disappointed.